Hi--Chip's my pen name for this website where I talk about my experiences learning how to play poker. I used to have something in here about how I'm new and not very good, but I think I've actually improved a little bit over the last year. No need to be blatantly humble.

Wednesday, September 08, 2004

High School Senior on Poker

The Changing Face of PokerWell written article by a high school senior about poker and its popularity. Very nice piece of work, and I thought folks might be interested in it.

As far as teen poker goes for me, I played penny ante poker with some buddies in high school. One of my friends swore up and down that his uncle was a card shark and had taught him to play. Naturally he lost every hand he was dealt and received no end of derision from me and my friends. His uncle apparently was also a pool shark. My friend fared little better playing pool, and he received an equal amount of derision about that too.

I listened to Eric Clapton for the first time during a poker game with my buddies. The album was Timepieces. I also listened to Robert Cray for the first time when we were playing poker. We were 17 or 18 years old at the time.

In college I had some friends who played poker in the dorms, and they played for real money, not the penny ante stuff we were used to playing for. It was controversial and the subject of much gossip in the dorm. One of those guys now occasionally joins me at some of the local poker clubs in Dallas.

After college, when I was in my early and mid twenties, we still got together for nickel ante games at my apartment, but I never seemed to improve as a player at all. These games were all excuses to drink whiskey and beer, socialize with friends, and eat junkfood. One guy we used to play with regularly was a pretty well off salesguy, or so he let on, who had once dated Playboy playmate Stacy Sanchez, or so he said. He was an awfully good poker player to be sure whether or not he was telling the truth.

Now I play online most of the time, for real money, and occasionally play in a cardroom. I've witnessed firsthand the changing face of poker in my own life and experience. The changes I like the most involve more profit from my play. The changes I like the least involve less interaction with my friends. And of course I seldome drink when I play anymore.